Utah Code mandates that the state board of education establish curriculum requirements in grades eight through 12 for the prevention of communicable diseases. This instruction must stress “the importance of abstinence from all sexual activity before marriage and fidelity after marriage as methods for preventing certain communicable diseases; and personal skills that encourage individual choice of abstinence and fidelity.”[2]

Among other limitations on what can be taught, the Code states that “[a]t no time may instruction be provided, including responses to spontaneous questions raised by students, regarding any means or methods that facilitate or encourage the violation of any state or federal criminal law by a minor or adult.”[3] In Utah, consensual sexual intercourse outside of marriage is illegal.[4]

Utah Code further requires that materials used for instruction in health do not include:

the intricacies of intercourse, sexual stimulation, or erotic behavior;

the advocacy of homosexuality;

the advocacy or encouragement of the use of contraceptive methods or devices; or

Utah Administrative Code requires that each newly hired or newly assigned educator who teaches or who will be teaching any part of a sexuality education class must attend a state-sponsored course offered annually that outlines the state designed curriculum and Utah Code regarding the teaching of human sexuality.[6]

The Utah Elementary Core Curriculum: Responsible Healthy Lifestyles 3–6 and Secondary Health Core Curriculum, suggested curriculum frameworks produced by the Utah State Office of Education, provide greater detail regarding grade level and topics to be included. The Elementary Core Curriculum states that in grades three through six, students should receive disease prevention and HIV/AIDS education.[7] According to the Secondary Health Core Curriculum, students should receive instruction that abstinence is the best way to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections beginning in grade seven.[8] Instructors are told that a “strong abstinence message has always been and will continue to be an expected element” (emphasis in original) of sexuality education.[9]

Schools are not required to follow this framework. However, local school districts must establish a curriculum materials review committee.[10] This committee must make sure that all instructional material complies with “state law and state board rules” regarding sexuality education.[11] Curricula must be adopted after “an open and regular” school board meeting in which parents and guardians have an opportunity to testify about the curricula.[12]

Parents or guardians must give written permission in order for a student to participate in any form of sexuality education.[13] This is referred to as an “opt-in” policy.

In 2009, 84% of high school students in Utah reported having been taught about AIDS/HIV in school compared to 87% of high school students nationwide.

Teen Pregnancy, Birth, and Abortion

Utah’s teen birth rate currently ranks 34th in the United States, with a rate of 35.1 births per 1,000 young women ages 15–19 compared to the national rate of 41.5 births per 1,000.[15] In 2008, there were a total of 2,558 live births reported to young women ages 15–19 in Utah.[16]

In 2005, Utah’s teen pregnancy rate ranked 45th in the United States, with a rate of 47 pregnancies per 1,000 young women ages 15–19 compared to the national rate of 70 pregnancies per 1,000.[17] There were a total of 4,460 pregnancies among young women ages 15–19 in Utah.[18]

In 2005, Utah’s teen abortion rate ranked 49th in the United States, with a rate of 6 abortions per 1,000 young women ages 15–19 compared to the national rate of 19 abortions per 1,000.[19]

HIV and AIDS

Utah’s HIV infection rate ranks 31st in the United States, with a rate of 5.2 cases per 100,000 individuals compared to the national rate of 19.5 cases per 100,000.[20]

Utah ranks 28th in cases of HIV infection diagnosed in the United States among all age groups. In 2008, there were a total of 143 new cases of HIV infection diagnosed in Utah.[21]

Utah’s HIV infection rate among young people ages 13–19 ranks 37th in the United States, with a rate of 0.7 cases per 100,000 young people compared to the national rate of 9.1 cases per 100,000.[22]

Utah ranks 40th in number of reported AIDS cases in the United States among all age groups. In 2008, there were a total of 75 new AIDS cases reported in Utah.[23]

Utah’s AIDS rate ranks 44th in the United States, with a rate of 2.7 cases per 100,000 individuals compared to the national rate of 12.3 cases per 100,000.[24]

Utah’s AIDS rate among young people ages 13–19 ranks 41st in the United States, with a rate of 0 cases per 100,000 young people compared to the national rate of 1.8 cases per 100,000.[25]

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Utahranks 49th in reported cases of Chlamydia among young people ages 15–19 in the United States, with an infection rate of 8.46 cases per 1,000 compared to the national rate of 19.52 cases per 1,000. In 2008, there were a total of 1,772 cases of Chlamydia reported among young people ages 15–19 in Utah.[26]

Utahranks 47th in reported cases of gonorrhea among young people ages 15–19 in the United States, with an infection rate of 0.33 cases per 1,000 compared to the national rate of 4.52 cases per 1,000. In 2008, there were a total of 69 cases of gonorrhea reported among young people ages 15–19 in Utah.[27]

There are no available statewide data on the rate of syphilis among young people.

The President’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI) funds medically accurate and age-appropriate programs to reduce teen pregnancy. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) implements the grant program, which totaled $110 million in discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2010. TPPI consists of two funding tiers that provide grants to local public and private entities. Tier 1 totals $75 million and provides funding for the replication of evidence-based programs proven to prevent unintended teen pregnancy and address underlying behavioral risk factors. Tier 2 totals $25 million and provides funding to develop and test additional models and innovative strategies. A portion of the Tier 2 funds, $15.2 million, was allocated for research and demonstration grants to test innovative approaches, while the remaining funding, $9.8 million, was allocated for grants to support communitywide initiatives. TPPI also dedicates $4.5 million in funding to conduct evaluations of individual programs.

The TPPI Tier 2 grant program supports research and demonstration programs in order to develop, replicate, refine, and test additional models and innovative strategies for preventing teenage pregnancy.

There are no TPPI Tier 2 Innovative Approaches grantees in Utah.

TPPI Tier 2: Communitywide Initiatives

The TPPI Tier 2 grant program also supports communitywide initiatives to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy and births in communities with the highest rates. The program awards grants to national organizations as well as state- and community-based organizations. Funded national partners provide training and technical assistance to local grantees. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implement the grant program in partnership with OAH.

The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) totals $75 million per year for Fiscal Years 2010–2014 and is the first-ever dedicated funding stream for more comprehensive approaches to sexuality education. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) implements the grant. PREP includes a $55 million state-grant program, $10 million to fund local entities through the Personal Responsibility Education Innovative Strategies (PREIS) Program, $3.5 million for Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and $6.5 million for evaluation, training, and technical assistance. Details on the state-grant program and PREIS are included below. At the time of publication, the funding for tribes and tribal organizations had not yet been awarded.

PREP State-Grant Program

The PREP state-grant program supports evidence-based programs that provide young people with medically accurate and age-appropriate information for the prevention of unintended pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The grant program totals $55 million per year and allocates funding to individual states. The grant does not require states to provide matching funds. Funded programs must discuss abstinence and contraception, and place substantial emphasis on both. Programs must also address at least three of the following adulthood preparation subjects: healthy relationships, positive adolescent development, financial literacy, parent-child communication skills, education and employment skills, and healthy life skills.

The State of Utah, Department of Health, Division of Family Health and Preparedness received $525,624 in federal PREP funds for Fiscal Year 2010.

The department has issued an application announcement for available funds under the state’s PREP grant program. At the time of publication, sub-grantees had not yet been determined.

The Utah Department of Health, Division of Family Health and Preparedness implements the state’s PREP grant, which will provide funding to local public and private entities. Funded programs will serve young people ages 14–19 that belong to racial and ethnic minority groups or reside in areas with high teenage birth rates, as well as current teenage parents. The Department of Health has identified four curricula that sub-grantees may use: All4You!, Be Proud! Be Responsible! Be Protective!, ¡Cuídate!, and Teen Health Project.

All4You! is an evidence-based pregnancy-, STD-, and HIV-prevention program designed for students ages 14–18 attending alternative high schools. It is adapted from two existing evidence-based programs, Be Proud! Be Responsible! and Safer Choices. The program, which includes both classroom instruction and a service learning component, aims to reduce the frequency of unprotected sex among participants. The 14-session classroom curriculum consists of nine lessons, which address: STD-, HIV and pregnancy-prevention, the risk of STD transmission and unintended pregnancy, negotiation skills, and condom-use skills, among other topics. All4You! includes interactive activities such as role-playing, condom demonstration, group discussion, and educational games. The service learning component engages participants in volunteer activities. An evaluation of the program published in AIDS Education and Prevention compared the behavior of participants to that of peers in a control group six months after the intervention. Program participants reported a significantly lower frequency of having sex without a condom in the previous three months, were significantly more likely to report having used a condom at last sexual intercourse, and reported a significantly lower frequency of sexual intercourse in the previous three months than participants in the control group.[28]

Be Proud! Be Responsible! Be Protective! is an evidence-based program that targets pregnant and parenting teens and focuses on the concept of maternal protectiveness to encourage adolescent mothers and soon-to-be mothers to make healthy sexual decisions; take responsibility and be accountable for their sexual activity; and decrease risky sexual behavior. The curriculum is an adaptation of Be Proud! Be Responsible! , an evidence-based HIV-prevention curriculum designed for African-American males. Be Proud! Be Responsible! Be Protective! discusses the impact of HIV/AIDS on inner-city communities and particularly addresses its impact on pregnant women and their children, providing information on preventing transmission during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The curriculum consists of eight, one-hour lessons and uses interactive activities, group discussion, and videos to educate participants. Itcovers such topics as HIV risk and prevention; family planning and parenting; communication; attitudes and beliefs about HIV/AIDS and safer sex; condom use skills; stress and emotion management; and staying healthy. The intervention can be delivered in four, two-hour sessions or over the course of eight days and is appropriate for use in school-based settings.[29] An evaluation of the program published in Family and Community Health found, at a six-month follow-up, that program participants reported having significantly fewer sexual partners during the previous three months than participants in the control group.[30]

¡Cuídate! is an evidence-based HIV-prevention curriculum adapted from the evidence-based curriculum, Be Proud! Be Responsible!, and tailored for use with Latino youth ages 13–18. The curriculum provides information about HIV and its transmission, addresses values and beliefs related to HIV and safer sex, and includes activities aimed to increase skills and self-efficacy for condom use, negotiating abstinence, and safer sex. The intervention consists of six, one-hour lessons and is designed for use with small, mixed-gender groups. It draws upon cultural beliefs, such as the importance of family and the responsibility of a man to care for his family, in order to provide messages that resonate with participants. The curriculum consists of educational games, small group discussions, videos, learning exercises, and skill-building activities. An evaluation of the curriculum published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that it reduced the frequency of sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, and incidence of unprotected sex, while increasing condom use, among participants.[31]

Teen Health Project is a community-level, HIV risk-reduction program designed for young people ages 12–17 living in low-income housing developments. The purpose of the program is to reduce sexual activity, increase condom use and negotiation skills, and reduce risky sexual behavior among participants. The initial component of the program consists of two, three-hour workshops focusing on HIV/STD prevention and building skills. Some participants in the workshops are then nominated to the Teen Health Project Leadership Council which meets on a weekly basis during a six-month period to implement community activities and organize HIV-prevention activities for their peers. In addition, Teen Health Project includes a parent component which consists of a 90-minute HIV/AIDS education workshop that provides information to parents about risk reduction and talking to their children about sexual health issues. An evaluation of the program published in AIDS found, at a 12-month follow-up, that sexually inexperienced youth who participated in the program were significantly more likely to have remained abstinent; and, at an 18-month follow-up, sexually active youth who participated in the program were significantly more likely to report condom use at the time of last sexual intercourse than participants in the control group.[32]

Personal Responsibility Education Innovative Strategies (PREIS)

The PREIS Program supports research and demonstration programs to develop, replicate, refine, and test innovative models for preventing unintended teen pregnancy. ACF implements the grant program in collaboration with OAH and provides a total of $10 million in funding directly to local public and private entities.

The Title V State Abstinence Education Grant Program (Title V Abstinence-Only Program) allocates $50 million per year to states for Fiscal Years 2010–2014. ACF implements the grant program. The Title V Abstinence-Only Program requires states to provide three state-raised dollars or the equivalent in services for every four federal dollars received. The state match may be provided in part or in full by local groups. All programs funded by the Title V Abstinence-Only Program must promote abstinence from sexual activity as their exclusive purpose and may provide mentoring, counseling, and adult supervision toward this end. Programs must be medically accurate and age-appropriate and must ensure abstinence is an expected outcome.

The State of Utah, Department of Health, Division of Family Health and Preparedness received $319,037 in federal Title V abstinence-only funding for Fiscal Year 2010.

The department has issued an application announcement for available funds under the state’s Title V abstinence-only grant program. At the time of publication, sub-grantees had not yet been determined.

In Utah, sub-grantees will provide the match.

The Utah Department of Health, Division of Family Health and Preparedness implements the state’s Title V Abstinence-Only Program. Public and private entities are eligible to apply for sub-grants that will be awarded through a competitive process. Funded programs will serve young people ages 10–16 that belong to racial and ethnic minority groups or reside in areas of the state with high teenage birth rates, as well as young people in the juvenile justice system. The Department of Health has not selected specific curricula that sub-grantees must use; however, sub-grantees must demonstrate the medical accuracy of their programs.

SIECUS is not aware of any examples of model programs, policies, or best practices being implemented in Utah public schools that provide a more comprehensive approach to sex education for young people.

We encourage you to submit any updated or additional information on comprehensive approaches to sex education being implemented in Utah public schools for inclusion in future publications of the SIECUS State Profiles. Please visit SIECUS’ “Contact Us” webpage at www.siecus.org to share information. Select “state policy” as the subject heading.

[1]This refers to the federal government’s fiscal year, which begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, Fiscal Year 2010 began on October 1, 2009 and ended on September 30, 2010.